News

Two years later: A look back at Mary Han

As the announcement broke Tuesday that our police force is under investigation by the feds, I was making the final edits to an article about civil rights lawyer Mary Han. She died two years ago, and though the Albuquerque Police Department declared her death a suicide, people who knew her say there’s no way.

The crime scene was so badly handled, according to her family, it will be nearly impossible to find out what happened to Han, an attorney who never shied away from taking on APD or the city. Twenty-six people—officers, APD brass, high-ranking city officials—went to Han’s house that day, according to the civil lawsuit.

I got a chance to speak with a friend of Han’s about her passion and dedication. If it could happen to her, it could happen to anyone, says the family’s attorney, Rosario Vega Lynn.